


And the Boy Did And The Tree Was Happy

by desertions



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-16
Updated: 2013-08-16
Packaged: 2017-12-23 16:08:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/928480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/desertions/pseuds/desertions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's like that book you read as a kid you know? The one with the dumb tree who lets the guy take everything from her until there's nothing left? for the prompt the Giving Tree by stainofmylove</p>
            </blockquote>





	And the Boy Did And The Tree Was Happy

Sometimes, Caroline feels a little empty these days. It's not that she doesn't like helping, she does. She's a giver. She's the go to problem solver of Mystic Falls and it's a badge she wears with pride. And it's fine, it's great, she loves it except --

Well sometimes she feels like she gets diminished returns from her friends. It's like that book you read as a kid you know? The one with the dumb tree who lets the guy take everything from her until there's nothing left? It's pretty depressing for a children's book, but the point is she's the dumb tree and her friends are the boy taking everything from her.

She tries to be there for Stefan through everything, even when he shuts her down for being upset for Elena _trying to kill her_. It's cool. She's fine. And Stefan leaves when Elena makes her choice without even a goodbye and really, it's okay.

It's okay that Bonnie leaves for the summer too. She has Elena and she has college to plan and everything worked out, didn't it? Sure, no one will ever thank her for everything she's done but she's used to it. It's become kind of the norm around here. Those who do the best work are rarely thanked for it. And she doesn't need the gratitude -- it'd just be nice to be appreciated every once in a while. That's all.

It's about a month into summer when she hears a knock on the door -- she's been alphabetizing her books (and then sorting them by genre) as she packs them into boxes. She makes her way down the stairs figuring it's a package from Amazon or something but -- no it's not unless they suddenly hired way cuter delivery men (and as her life isn't some cheaply made porno, she imagines that's not the case).

"Miss me?" Tyler asks, offering her that genuine bright smile of his that she has missed more than she can put into any sort of words. She wraps her arms tightly around his neck as she hugs him, kissing him. "Of course. I didn't know if you got my messages I mean I had already blown up you voicemail before and you didn't answer and I thought --"

She thought he wasn't going to come back. That he had used her up just like everyone else.

"I wanted to surprise you," He murmurs softly, letting his fingers brush back some of her bright blonde curls. It's written in every line on his face how much he's missed her and it makes her want to cry, well she's crying already if she's honest, but cry even more. "And I wanted to thank you in person."

At that, however, Caroline's a little confused. "Why?"

"For doing whatever you had to to get my freedom back, so I could come home to you."

And he's the first person to get it. That she hadn't been trying to be Klaus' friend, not really. Everyone assumed the worst, that some dark part of her wanted to be with the Original (and okay, so maybe a part of her had been flattered but she's done the bad boy thing before, Damon Salvatore much?) but that wasn't it at all. And not only did he not accuse her, but he thanked her. No one thanks her. No one except Tyler. 

"You don't know how much I've missed you," She whispers, echoing the words he had said to her the last time he had come home to her, after breaking the sire bond. 

"I think I have an idea," He presses another soft kiss against her lips, stepping inside of the house now.

"Prove it," She challenges, a small grin spreading across her lips amongst all the tears. And then he scoops her up in his arms, carrying her up to her bedroom. 

And as he does so she swears she can feel her limbs growing back already. Maybe she's not such a dumb tree this time.


End file.
